Oxnard police name 9 officers involved in La Colonia fatal shooting

In this photo from Oct. 24, 2012, Eduardo Tafoya, a friend of Alfonso Limon, leaves a rosary at a memorial for Limon on Garfield Street, where died after being fired on by Oxnard police.

Ventura County Star

ANTHONY PLASCENCIA/THE STAR
Alfonso Limon.

Ventura County Star

Oxnard police on Wednesday released the names of nine officers involved in the October fatal shooting of two men in La Colonia, one of them a passer-by who was mistaken for a suspect in a traffic stop that turned violent.

Oxnard Police Chief Jeri Williams, who previously withheld the names because of possible safety risks to the officers, said Wednesday a review found no more threats.

"In order for us to be as transparent as we say we are, we felt that it was time," Williams said.

Rodriguez and Ross also were part of the June fatal incident involving Robert Ramirez, who died of asphyxia while being restrained by police.

When asked whether she had any comment regarding the officers' involvement in both fatal incidents, Williams said officers choose their shifts.

"Both events happened on a Saturday, and that just happened to be a shift they're on," she said.

All nine officers fired weapons on the night of Oct. 13, she said. The situation arose from a traffic stop in the La Colonia neighborhood during which two of three suspects fled from a vehicle and shots were fired at police. One suspect, 24-year-old Jose Zepeda, died in a shootout in the densely populated area.

Also killed was 21-year-old Alfonso Limon Jr., who had been walking home with his brother after they had gone jogging at a nearby high school. Police later said Limon was mistaken for a suspect.

Williams said she cannot say which officers shot Limon, Zepeda or Villa because she doesn't yet have full access to the investigation being done by the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff's Capt. Chris Dunn said the department was not ready to provide that information.

"This is the slow part of the process," he said. Investigators must compile lab and field reports and put together a timeline. The final report, which could be hundreds of pages, will be reviewed by the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

In addition to one officer retiring, Williams said four officers have returned to routine duties. Four others have not been released back to full patrol duties and are working on administrative assignments, she said.

When asked whether such administrative assignments were routine, Williams said: "Nothing is routine in this incident."

Usually, the department decides whether an officer can return to full duty after reviewing investigation details. It's also routine in critical incidents for personnel to undergo psychological evaluations.

But since the high-profile Limon incident is being investigated by the Sheriff's Office, Williams said she does not have access to evidence that would allow her to assess officer readiness.

"The administrative assignment piece is something different that we've done in this instance," she said.

She declined to release names of the four officers assigned to administrative duties, saying she didn't want anyone to make inferences that could jeopardize ongoing investigations.

The Ramirez and Limon incidents also will be investigated by the District Attorney's Office to see if any criminal charges might be filed, which is standard procedure.

The incidents have spurred community outcry, including demonstrations, speeches before the City Council and allegations of police harassment.

Lawyers for the Limon family allege in a claim against the city and police department that witnesses saw multiple officers surround Limon and fire at him even as he put his hands up and yelled "don't shoot, don't shoot." The lawyers did not return a call for comment Wednesday.

Separately, the Oxnard Police Department has hired an outside agency to investigate the Limon and Ramirez incidents once the DA probes are completed. The Office of Independent Review, an oversight group created by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, will examine officer training, police response and other issues.

The group is expected to start work on the Ramirez case sometime between March and June and the Limon case between June and December. A report in each case will be due six months after work begins.

Williams said she is often asked by citizens and sometimes officers whether there is any new information in the cases. While she'll likely get access to some limited details, Williams said she won't speak out publicly until the reviews are finished.

"I have to be respectful of the jobs both the Sheriff's Office and the DA have to do," she said.